The Covenant
by SeaSaltSkies
Summary: Death is just the end of one story...And the beginning of another...
1. Act 0: Prelude

The Covenant

Prelude

I tried Rosette, I really did. To get to you, it took all my strength, all my determination not to just give up, let myself die, I couldn't I promised you I'd come back. I promised. I thought I had the time, all the time in the world, we had brought you back, I had my horns, what could take you from me again? I didn't know, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. Your life wasn't returned to you, I didn't have the time to do what I did. I should have known. Rosette.

It was months before I could think rationally again; the only thing holding me together was that memory of you, your warmth, your face, your smile, and your kiss. That kiss, I think it doomed you, I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have waited as long as I did, but I didn't have any choice, I wasn't even a whole mind. As I said, it took months for me even to be able to think, and even then I couldn't move, until, my horns were finally healed, things went quicker, I had to see you again, so I pushed myself, the need to hold you, to steal you away, to tell you I love you. Why didn't I when I had the chance? Why didn't I go quicker? I'm so stupid.

I'm sorry. Rosette.

I had thought…. I was so stupid for thinking…. That you had time, enough time. When I was able to move again, when my body was whole, I looked around the place I had landed, the remains of Eden, searching for my brother. If I had survived, had he? I don't know, I couldn't find him anywhere, no part of him at all. He couldn't have survived, could he? He didn't have horns, I don't know. It doesn't make any sense but he might have, its Aion after all. I wanted to run to you, to abandon my reason and just take you away from the order, I didn't care what anyone thought, I still don't.

I loved you Rosette, I still do.

It pains me to write this even now, that I didn't… I didn't say it sooner, that I didn't think to listen to myself and just go to you right away. No, instead, I was going to surprise you. I thought and dreamt over and over again about what you would do when I showed you my plan, what I had worked six months to do. I had a job, no one could best me. After all, who could best a demon at hunting down evil? The pervasion of Pandemonium had been stopped, the hive destroyed, and yet, evil still remained. I didn't know what this meant, I still don't but I swear to you I'll find out, after what you gave…It's the least I can do. As I said, my plan, it was going on perfectly, I had a job, a home, a soiled career that I knew you would love the same, and I had it all plotted out. I had the ring, why did I wait? Even just that that one day, if I had come sooner… maybe then.

Rosette.

It hurts so much, living without you. I can't die; I've tried so many times. When I got to you, I was so happy, I thought…I thought everything was going to be perfect. Why was I so blind? You were there, surrounded by your friends, your brother, Azu.. They all looked at me when I came through the doors, tear stained and shocked. Azmaria started to cry again, Joshua wouldn't look at me. You had died Rosette, not minutes before I came, you had asked for me, you were frightened, and I did nothing, I was able to do nothing. Why did I wait? Why?

Rosette.

You had struggled so long, waiting, always waiting. Why didn't I? That's all I can ask myself, why didn't I make it in time. If I had just been there, maybe you wouldn't have… They didn't tell me, I'm so sorry Rosette. I thought… It doesn't matter now, you are gone, and they wont even let me stay with you, like I did with her. You made sure of it, wanting to be cremated rather then being buried. Even after death you thought about my well-being, Rosette, why? Why did you have to be so selfish, why wouldn't you let me stay with you? Why wouldn't you let me lock myself with you till the end of time? Even this way, it hurts just to think of it. Why? Why didn't I… It's getting hard to write, I keep crying. Damn it.

Rosette…

I keep hoping, that maybe…maybe some day you will be reincarnated, your soul returned to earth like it's supposed to. But it can't can it? I ate it. To keep me living, to save your brother, you forfeited everything. It sickens me, what did I do to you? I can remember when I first met you, little angel. You didn't care at all if I was a demon, if you didn't know me; you just offered me your friendship, warmth, the light, along with some smashed treats. You were so innocent, you and your brother. Joshua, I think he'll hate me until the end of time wont he? I took you away from him, not just once but twice. Lord what did I do to you?

Rosette….

This is the last gift I can give you, this letter, and what is within the pocket watch. Bits of you are in there, your laugh, your smile, when I sleep I can hear you in it, calling to me. I don't want to let it go, god I'm selfish. Even if it means you might…you might be able to be returned to me, to this world, I don't want to let go of those pieces, those fragments that hold my heart together. But I will, I have too. Even if it's just a sliver of a chance to bring you back, to be reincarnated… I would give my horns to give you that chance. Heh. But If I did that, you would probably just do the same as before…Why did god make you so perfect?

Rosette…

This is my goodbye, this letter that is going to be burnt with you, I don't know if I'll be able to watch, it hurts so much, but I have to. I left you for so long…how could I let you go? So I will stand there, watching you burn, and I will personally put this letter in your hand, and I will personally give you back what you deserve.

I'm so sorry. Rosette.

I Love you.

I always will.

Chrno.

* * *

Ok, If this made you cry, raise you hand. I know sure as hell I did. A lot. Still am. This isn't the end. Don't worry, I'm going to keep this going. Actually, I'm working on the first chapter right now! Ahahahah! Don't kill me. Its what happened in the manga! Blame Moriyama! I'm just continuing!! Lol. Expect a happy chapter next. I promise. This is just the prelude, that's why its so short. See you in a bit!

Amai.


	2. Act 1: Requiem for A Dream

Title: The Covenant

Chapter: 1

The soft light of dawn worked its way between the heavy curtains that shielded the cluttered apartment from sight; twining its long golden fingers across the dark rug, traveling over clothing, candy wrappers, and books, groping to fill the entire room. As the sun rose, spreading its persona into windows and doorways, greeting early birds with it's shining face, its light canceled out the almost eerily glow of a computer, the soft hum and spaced clicks not waking its owner whom slept before it.

The pale, electronic glow was slowly replaced by the warm gold, revealing the deep purple hues of his long thick hair and the rugged tone of his smooth skin, marred only by the dark circles beneath his eyes born from sleepless nights working on his journal. That journal spanned over twenty-five notebooks, each bound and packaged beneath his bed, the rest compiled on dozens of floppy disks, to many for him to count, stashed in the same organized manor. The purpose was not to log in his events per say, but to keep track of time. His life went by him like a passing dream, things blurred together and if he didn't keep a sharp eye out, he would completely loose track of what year... or even century... it was.

The rest of his home though, had no image of organization at all, even the man's apparel, a thick, almost military, pair of pants and a white Ginny-Tee, his skin slick and bronzed, and his hair tangled about his shoulders, seemed as rumpled as the very air about him. The page was still open on the screen, the small bar flashing almost impatiently in the middle of the first and only sentence. All that had been written on the page had been the date, and three words. God I wish…

The sun draped its blanket over the man easily now, its warmth not seeming to effect him at all, his form as still as death itself upon the desk. But with a small click of changing numbers, the alarm clock on the other side of the room switched on, and the room was filled with the melodic voice of a female singer, rousing the man with a slight intake of breath.

"And you don't seem to understand A shame you seemed an honest man..." The rich voiced singer crooned, the song dimming out all other sounds with it's timbre, as the alarm clock had been set on the maximum volume. He sat up slowly, pulling a piece of sticky paper off of his cheek and stretching luxuriously, his waist long hair rippling down his strong shoulders in violet waves. "And all the things you hold so dear Will come to whisper in your ear..." He opened his eyes slowly, revealing one ruby iris and the other a milky lavender, and stood with a light groan, grabbing a pair of glasses along the way. "And I know that I must seem to love you and I know that you give so much..."

"Oh shut up." He growled irritably.

"But I don't even feel a th--- " The flat of his wide hand slammed down on the top of the machine and the apartment once again was plunged into silence as he walked past it into the bathroom, his numb fingers brushing against an old photo in a shined frame, the glass worn in four streaks, proving him to be a creature of habit.

He closed the door after him with a light sigh, stripping down out of the rumpled clothing to step inside the steaming shower, allowing the scaling spray to wash away his tenseness. He lifted his face to the water, the drops streaming down his strong body, and pooling onto the tiled floor.

What day was it again…? Tuesday? Friday? He ran a hand through his sopping locks letting the streams of liquid course down to the ground. "Maa Rosetto. What am I to do today?" He whispered, his eyes closed as his face pulled up in a soft rendition of grief. It had been so long, and yet still. Still he could not forget her.

He smiled almost painfully; the memory of his love's peaceful face after his broken promise ended her life welling up within him. Eighty years two months and 10 days…he had counted every one as it passed him by. 20 years since Azmaria and Joshua had passed away, after 40 years of being married, cremated in a tradition Rosette had started in her own funeral. Rather then disappear into the ground and become obscure in time; one was released into the air in a brilliant fire, to join the air that they were born from.

A bright ring that startled him out of his thoughts broke his forlorn morning mantra, and he blinked his eyes a bit then peered past the steamed shower door at the phone across the hall, which was jiggling the entire table as it demanded attention. "Ack. Crap." He muttered, groping along the wall for a towel, knocking down a bunch of things on the way that clattered on the ground loudly before he gripped the thick material and drew it to him, wrapping it about his lower half as he headed for the phone with a mutter that turned into a curse when the answering machine began to respond, picking up his pace quite a bit.

His fingers gripped about the phone, before lifting it to his ear with some hesitation; seeing as there were only two people who called him, those who wanted money, and Remington. "Yo! Chrno!" He winced at the voice, oh yes, defiantly the latter, "Are you going to mope around your apartment all day or are you going to join me at your office. You remember, the one at the top of the skyscraper? Labeled 'boss'?"

Former Father Remington asked drolly, cocking his eyebrow up lightly as he leaned against the solid wood desk of his office. This was a daily ritual, of dragging the demon out of his little cell, into the daylight to do as Rosette would have wanted him to. Live. "We have 3 cases already. When ever I Predict that the month will be busy, it follows up." He turned and lounged against the wood, his still handsome features accented by his longish hair, which he had let grow out a bit since he retired from the order after Sister Kate's funeral. "It's a tragic gift that I'd easily give up for a vacation." He joked.

"Ah right…" Chrno responded, completely ignoring the man's humor, his voice just as faint as ever, as he leaned over the phone, his tangled locks dripping water on the wood floor and marring his glasses. "What were they? Do I have to get there now?" If he could put it off…he would…

"A couple normal jobs, some legion possessed a Crispy Cream Donut Shoppe, I have a few rookies heading over there now. We'll probably need some more uniforms after this." He chuckled lightly and Even Chrno smiled a bit from his side of the phone.

"Ah yes…" He smirked lightly, crinkling those eyes up a bit, "A messy job, but has to be done. I'm sure they'll be better off once they realize that a spirit will make them explode everywhere…."

"Ummm…. Yes…. I should probably send a clean up crew right away." Remington chuckled, flipping his book to the next page. "A subway accident is being attributed to a upper level Legion. They're coming more and more through that system, something That they requested we do personally…"

"Why is it always personally?" Chrno groaned lightly, adjusting his towel, "Can't you tell them that I'm busy or something?"

"Oh I already did. Because the third call is the most interesting. And I'd suggest you get over here before I have to leave with out you Chrno. Our appointment is in an hour…" He grinned lightly, his eyes twinkling with a light that hadn't been there for a long time, and he set down the book to turn and face the phone, placing his hands tight on the wooden desk, the phone tucked tightly against his ear.

"Eh?" The violet haired demon blinked, pushing his glasses up with his pointer finger at Yuan's slightly trembling, excited voice. What was so interesting that would make his normally calm friend act so strange. "What is it? Yuan?" He blinked again, wrinkling his eyebrows up.

"Chrno. They're back." Remington said softly, taking a soft breath in.

"They…?" He stiffened, eyes widening as his hand tightened about the phone, "As in whom?" He couldn't mean...

"The apostles." The ex-priest stated softly, his throat tightening as he spoke the words again. "They've found one."

* * *

"Flight 243 from Venice is now landing, Once again, Flight 243 from Venice is now landing." The voice on the intercom was barely audible over the hustle and bustle of the airport; certainly not loud enough for the one's who needed to know such things to hear. One of those people, sat curled up at a table in the food court, completely asleep. The wide windows to the left sent soft rays of new morning sunlight over the nearly empty food court, the person in question one of the few who graced the area, most of the other inhabitants being very old or very young. Her blonde hair hung over her arms lightly, fluttering once and a while as she breathed out, her right hand spread over a medical book, and the table was covered with folders and papers.

"Flight 243 from Venice is now docked in gate 103. Once again, Flight 243 from Venice is now docked in gate 103." She shifted restlessly, before finally opening her azure eyes, sitting up despite the piece of paper that had stuck to her cheek.

"Aw Crap." She mumbled, pealing the paper off her cheek and peering at the words there on. "I fell asleep." She grinned lightly, yawning as she ruffled her papers together from the long wait, only pausing when she caught glimpse of her watch. 5:25 a.m. The plane had landed at 5:15. "AAHHH JOSHUA!" She screeched out loud, hair bristling as she stood up viciously, sending the chair clattering and the few occupants of the hall jumping slightly and staring at her. She grabbed everything on the table and swiftly shoved it into her pouch, cursing at herself in a language unfamiliar to most people around these parts, but native to the city she had been born in.

Ahh I cant believe I feel asleep!! She chastised herself, throwing her pouch over her shoulder as she ran haphazardly through the small crowds of early morning travelers, nearly knocking some poor sap completely off his feet as she bumbled into him, sending their stuff flying. "Ack! Sorry sorry!" She apologized quickly; snatching up the things she dropped, before taking off once more, not staying long enough to get a good glimpse at poor old man who was twitching on the ground.

Joshua sat on one of he hard green seats that filled the half empty gate, his eyes glazed and distant as he held the small mask to his nose and mouth, breathing slowly. Flying, it seemed, hadn't been the best thing for his body, he had had a couple of attacks on the long 13 hour flight over to America, and nearly killed the nurse assigned to him out of the stress. That made him smile a bit, after all, even a few attacks were worth seeing Rosette again. Two years, it sounded so long, but felt even longer, being without his important, dear sister… Speaking of which, wasn't she supposed to be here 20 minutes ago?

He lifted his eyes, searching the meager crowds for his beloved twin, every blonde not the right shade, and every person not exactly how he remembered her. That is, until he heard a cry of glee as he looked slightly to the side just to get completely knocked over his chair by a very excited blonde girl.

"JOSHUA!!"

THUMP!

"AHHHH!!" The nurse screamed out loud, her plump face going completely pale as the two of them fell and hit the hard ground, the two tussled heads of blonde contrasting against the gray linoleum. Joshua wheezed a bit, the sudden lack of oxygen and the unexpected crushing closeness of his favorite person causing him to loose his breath for a moment. "Rosette…you're late…" He smiled warmly, wrapping his arms about her tightly, hugging her to him like she was the only thing left, which she truly was. Both their parents had died a few years back, and they had been living in an orphanage before Rosette had gotten a Medical scholarship to New York. For a moment, sicknesses were forgotten, replaced by the joy of reunion.

"Uhn. I know. Sorry about that, I fell asleep." She hugged him back, ignoring the odd looks they were getting from the people around who found it quite strange for two teenagers to be hugging on the ground in the middle of the Airport. She was too happy to be self-conscious. "I came here at 3:15 in the morning because, I was afraid I'd miss you, and I had so much homework to do so I ended up getting so tired and…I'm so happy to see you!" She wailed a bit, overreacting like normal as she just hugged him, as if letting him go would cause him to disappear.

She finally pulled back, helping her brother to his feet and checked him over quite a few times. "How was the flight over?" her eyes were worried, a little bit older, but not much different from the last time they had seen each other.

"I'm Fine Rosette, never felt better. Really." He gave his sister a comforting kiss on the forehead, actually feeling better now that his twin was so close to him. The nurse on the other hand, begged to differ.

"Miss. Christopher, your brother had 3 attacks or more on the flight over, he's not fine. He should be taken to the hospital as soon as you can do it. It isn't safe having him out like this…" She wiped her large sweaty forehead with a napkin, her heavily makeup-ed eyelids heavy over her mud brown eyes.

"Yeah." Rosette gave Joshua a look, which was a bit hard due to the fact that he was now quite taller then her, "You need to be more careful Joshua, your health is the most important thing." She squeezed his hand apologetically, before turning to the nurse. "Thank you for all your help, I'll take it from here…" She took hold of the bag the large woman was carrying and gave her a smile that said, 'leave already'.

Said woman just snorted, turning around and lumbering directly to the chow area. "Sorry Joshua," She sighed, turning to face him, and scrubbing the ink that was stuck to her cheek from sleeping on her exams.

"Maa. Don't worry about it, she's been slipping my pain meds on the way over anyway." He snorted, looking around as he looped one arm around her shoulder. "So this is America…" He grinned lightly down at her, "How is my English, I've been practicing more you know." He stuck out his tongue lightly at her, and she just laughed.

"Maa Its perfect. As I would expect it to be from someone whose parents were American." She pointed out, a grin on her features.

"Oii! That's mean! You know it yourself! Italian was more dominate in our lives. Don't make fun of the fact that I had to study our native language!" He pouted, looking off to the side. "And it wasn't like mama and Papa were alive long enough to keep it in our vocabulary."

She just smiled lightly, taking his hand and tugging him along. "Right right. Come on, I have to get you to the Hospital, they need to check into the program."

"Ah right." Joshua laughed lightly, "That's why I'm here isn't it." He squeezed his sister's shoulders and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "But I expect a lot more action when I'm around you."

"Damn straight you should."

* * *

"As you can see, she's in perfect condition." The doctor pointed out, dropping his stethoscope to the bed next to the small pigtailed girl, whose wide eyes were watching them with obvious confusion and interest. "They realized her powers when a young boy fell from a cliff in Brazil while they were playing tag, she retrieved him with glowing wings. Of course the family called our Brazilian branch immediately and the order had her moved here." The man patted the girl's head fondly and offered her a piece of candy to which she babbled off in Portuguese in thanks, having no idea what the man was saying to these two strangers.

"She's not the same…" Chrno stated softly, a mourning pain in his voice. "As the others…she's a completely different person…" He took a hesitant step forward and set a hand over the young girl's head. She looked nothing like the apostles he had known before, the ones who had been involved in Aion's scheme, and this hurt him deeply. Did this mean…. that Rosette would never return…and if her soul did…then she wouldn't be her?

"That was expected Chrno." Remington stated softly, placing his hand lightly on his old friend's shoulder. "No where in the Word is there any mention of Reincarnation. It's just not possible, a told you that before…'her'…. funeral… Thusly God gave his gift to an entirely new child…and let those souls who have done their duties rest…"

"I know…" He stated softly, his eyes gentle on the young girl who was unwrapping the sticky candy with small fingers that kept slipping. "So Yuan.." He turned with that half smile on his face again, his glasses slipping down about his nose as he tried to make the grin heartfelt. "On a mission for the Apostles once more. Brings back memories…."

"Yes…" Remington sighed, offering the doctor a twenty to which the man tucked it into his front pocket inconspicuously. "It does. Come on, we must set up our plans with the order. I know its been a long time since you've personally set foot there, but I promise you, not much has changed." He took his friend's arm, and tugged him along out of the room, waving lightly to the doctor as they rounded the corner and stepped out of the wing. "We're going to be very busy now."

The doctor sighed a bit, running a hand through his hair before stepping up to close the door only to get bowled over by a streak of blonde and blue, and ending up in a pile under the Brazilian girl's feet. Said child just blinked, and nibbled on her candy interested as the attacker sat up, her blonde hair a mess and falling in her face. "Uwa! Doctor! I'm sorry!" She hurriedly stood up, helping him up also with a huff.

"Ms. Rosette Christopher…" The man groaned, holding the crick in his back, and looking exasperatedly over his nose at her. "If you keep this up…" She had to be the most destructive medical student to come across this hospital. "We're going to have to transfer you to a different establishment."

She flushed, and held up her hands. "Ack. No, I'll be good! I just came to ask…" She nibbled on her bottom lip and lifted those blue eyes to meet his. "Where was Joshua brought too, I had a fussy patient and wasn't able to meet him for his check up. They're supposed to make sure he's eligible for the program."

"Ah yes.." The man mused, "He's got lung problems doesn't he, from when he was born. I almost forgot that was why you were here…I'm sure as long as you are involved in the staff, the project will include him." He winked at her, and then pointed the same way his company had left. "Right up that hall and around the corner. You'll find the project manager's office. She'll direct you I promise." He patted her shoulder and she smiled, bowing thankfully. "Good luck." He winked at her as she turned to leave and she laughed.

"Thanks. I'll need it." She smiled and turned, closing the door and dashing along the hall, puffing slightly as she skidded around the corner.

"Now I was thinking about starting in Michigan…" Remington trailed off, spreading his hand to the side as he watched with some interest as the nurses and doctors' eyes bulged at the sight of them, and dived to the side, into rooms and hallways, and some even under carts.

Chrno seemed to notice it also, his eyes curious from behind the glasses as his ears twitched lightly, wondering why everyone was acting like there was a monster on the loose. He wasn't in his True form…everyone would be screaming then, so why… "What's going o-"

"AHH!!! LOOKOUTGETOUTTAMYWAYYYY!!" Came out a bright yell that made all the staff members flinch and the two who were walking blatantly in the middle of the hall turn, only to get plowed over by that blue and blonde streak. The poor demon paled just as he caught the brunt of the attack as he went flying with a yelp into a cart, tumbling over it into a pile of Sheets, bandages and bottles, leaving the ex-priest to blink in surprise.

"Well now…That was a surprise…" He chuckled at the writhing mess, lifting up the sheet to peer at the mess of bodies, only to stiffen in shock and stumble back, dropping the sheet. "Oh merciful heaven…"

"Wah! Why did you drop it!" The run away train yelped, struggling to get the sheet up again, the violet haired victim caught the rim of the sheet, trying to blow his bangs out of his face to focus on the one sitting on him, a aggravated tone in his voice.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?! You could…. kill… some… one…." His mismatched eyes widened as his words faltered, catching in his throat against where his heart had risen.

There. Sitting on his chest. Scrambling to get the flop of bandages off of her head was the most perfect creature known to man and any other living thing. _Oh god…_ His heart pounded as his hand reached up to pull that piece of material from her hair, having to restrain himself from just tearing her to him and weeping into her neck, having to keep himself from just crushing his lips to hers and just keep kissing her till the world ended. Instead all he could muster was a breathy, heart broken… "Rosette…?"

It was as if God had decided to smile upon him, reward him for all that he had done. His heart soared, he felt so complete. It was heaven. But she just blinked down at him, her eyes following the cloth as it fell in his large grasp, and frowned a little at the feeling of his chest move beneath her, and gave him a confused look.

"Yes…? Do I know you?"

Those 5 little words sent him crashing back down to reality. No… this was no heaven… it was hell….

TBC

* * *

Damn that took me forever. Enjoy. :/ 


	3. Act 2: Reliving Life

The Covenant

Act 2: Reliving life

* * *

_"Do I know you?"_

Chrno's breath hooked deep in his chest, eyes widening sharply as his hand trembled about the bandages he held onto, allowing them to puddle onto the gray linoleum. A million things rushed about his mind, mashed together into one pained cry, his hear feeling as if it would throb out of his chest. "Don't you?" He asked his voice horribly horse to his ears. God, if she kept looking at him with those eyes, those pure blue pools that contained all the warmth he craved, but had none of the recognition he knew should e there, he'd loose it completely.

"Ah…I've run you over before haven't I?" She asked nervously, shifting on his chest as she climbed off, not noticing the way his hand twitched, longing to stop her, pull her to him, and never let go. "I'm sorry…if there's anything I can do…" She didn't need to be kicked out of the hospital just when Joshua had a chance to be part of that program… She went to offer a hand out to him, her eyes nervously scanning the doctors who were just starting to come out of their hiding places now that the danger was gone, waiting for them to come up to her with a transfer form. Thusly, she nearly jumped out of her skin as a pair of large warm hands settled down on her shoulders, moving her to the side away from the one she had toppled.

Remington smiled warmly down at the girl, a light back in his eyes that had gone dull over the long years she had been gone. "Don't worry, my friend has so many rocks loose in his head that something like this won't bother him." He joked lightly, squeezing her shoulders to step around her and grip Chrno's wrist, tugging him up in one smooth motion, causing him to stumble into the ex-priest heavily, his eyes widening as the man whispered smoothly under his breath in his keen ear. "Control yourself Chrno. She has no idea."

Chrno turned his mournful eyes towards the blinking, sweat dropping, girl, as he caught his balance and just watched her every move, taking in the sight of every tiny detail. The way she nibbled on that plush bottom lip, (God how he wished he could feel them on his own right now…), The way that one piece of hair fell askew about her cheek, the way she fidgeted as she watched them with those deep blue eyes.. _Rosette… God it hurts… Why….did you forget me? Why did you come back…if it wasn't for me… _

"Umn…well.." Rosette took a step back, watching the two staring men with growing nervousness. "I'm going to go… unless there's anything I can do to make it up to you…" She chuckled uneasily a bit, remembering the last person she had trampled had drained her of half a paycheck to keep her from getting sued.

"That's not needed," Remington stated warmly, snapping out of his trance smoothly to wave her along. "We'll be on our way also. Come on Chrno." He grabbed his friends wrist, turning as she nodded, and swiftly tried to put distance between them. Must…get…away…before they...change…their minds!!

"Wait." The rough voice broke through the hall, urging her to stop and turn a bit, a nervous smile on her face.

Crap.

"There is something you can do…" Chrno pulled his wrist from his friend's grasp, his long hair falling into his face. "After your shift is over… Let me treat you to dinner…" He asked carefully, his mismatched eyes terrified for her answer.

Her expression went flat with annoyance, before she sighed and waved her hand at him. "Fine." She stated, peering over her shoulder at him. "I get off at seven, pick me up outside of the north entrance, I'm not going to wait for you, so if you're late, even a minute…I'll leave without you." She threatened him, to which he shook his head rapidly, ruby eyes wide as a wobbly, completely relieved smile broke over his handsome face, as he pushed up his glasses carefully, his eyes gleaming.

"I wont." He assured her, his heart pumping and his mind running a mile a minute. "Not even a second." He had four hours till he was to pick her up, not that the thought appeased him, he would rather just take her in his arms and kiss her like he meant it, convince her that she knew him with the familiarity of his lips; but he knew he couldn't do that. Remington had imposed the 'control yourself' on him, and his unconscious willingness to obey directions forced him to do just that, thinking of millions of ways he could jog her memory. The pocket watch, he could show her that, or even, maybe, the picture that sat on his dresser, or…If he could just tell her everything….

"Well then…" She coughed lightly, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Good bye?" She waved a bit, and stepped off, disappearing around the corner with a sweat drop sitting on her temple. _What as with that guy…_ It wasn't like she hadn't been asked out randomly before, but something about him stuck out…. Something was different then the others…

"Ah…" Chrno winced as she disappeared, as suddenly a moment of panic came over him. He'd lost her again, she was right there and he just let her slip by him, and he almost chased after her, if not for the firm hold on his arm that lead his eyes up to the ex minister's unwavering gaze.

"Chrno. I do not know how this happened, nor do I know why she doesn't remember, but if you chase after her now… You will not fair well." He warned him carefully, deep blue eyes studying the corner the girl had rounded. He himself was nearly exploding with happiness. Rosette had such a hard life; to see her like this, a medical student, with such a bright smile on her face… not in pain. Not dying little by little… it made him warm just to think about it. She was happy…

"But…" The demon whimpered, tightening his numb hand until it popped a bit, and he had to raise it to his eyes to examine, pain in his eyes. His arm was a prosthetic, slowly being replaced by flesh, as the Gias that had been released on the demons at Pandimonia's death faded from the world, but at 80 years already, it still effected him enough that slowed his healing process, at least for his older, deeper wounds. He carefully pulled the fingers out, and reset them from where he had popped them out, a soft sigh of annoyance playing on his lips. "What am I supposed to do then?" He turned those mismatched eyes to his only living friend sorrowfully. "Just let her go?"

"No…" He chuckled lightly, his eyes twinkling. "Become part of her life again…but you never know…" He elbowed Chrno lightly, a smile on his features. "Someone might steal her from you now that they have the chance."

Chrno's eyes darkened a bit, "That's not something to kid about Yuan." He sighed, running that mechanical hand through his hair lightly, before he turned and headed for his car, heart heavy but still fluttering.. Rosette…

The priest stood there for a few moments, his eyes half lidded as he surveyed his position. Rosette… Since he had met the girl in her former life, he had been drawn to her, for reasons unknown to him at that time. What was it about her that was so appealing, that made one want to stay at her side forever, to hold her close and protect her even as she could protect herself. In that life, he hadn't been able to do so, his vows and his self created barriers keeping him from doing more then offering wise words and the occasional helping hand. The only time he had truly been able to hold her in his arms had been after Chrno had lost control and when she was dieing. That had been the most trying time of his life. To watch her slowly waste away, calling out his name, and then die, only to have HIM barge through the door moments later and take her from him, the pain and anguish he had felt in that moment had left a particular scar amongst all the ones in his heart. The second time. The second time he had taken the life of someone who had been so special to him. The second time he had caused the death of an innocent, wonderful person.

He let out a soft breath; his bangs fluttering against his skin as he rubbed the small indent in his arm where the tubes connected to his implants went, during his normal monthly check up. After her death, he had made sure that he'd stay alive as long as Chrno did, stay by his side to make sure that the man did not once again unwittingly destroy some child's life with his own selfishness.

During these long years he couldn't say that he disliked Chrno. Not at all. He was as sweet a creature as anyone, like a dog that had been abused to many times and was just hoping for love, but surely he'd bite sometime. And he had promised, Even at the end, that he wouldn't allow Chrno to take his own life, even as he had tried so many times, because of her. Remington tightened his fist a bit. Even on her deathbed, he was all she could think of. It was hard not to recall her smiling face, streaked with sweat and fighting the pain that came with her last sputtering bits of soul. Hard not to remember her words, before she fell limp with one last exhalation of breath…

He shook these thoughts away, and just smiled. She was back, he didn't know how, but she was. With a slightly upturned face, he thanked god for this miracle, before heading out the door, his mind full of thoughts….

* * *

Rosette slowly made her way down the hallway, her eyes lowered as that odd sensation of De'ja' vu ran over her mind. What the heck, she had been so worried about being sued that she had just said yes to him without a second thought. That wasn't normal. She normally contested anything the person gave up as a bargaining tool… that's why she normally had to pay them off. Not to mention, somehow, he seemed familiar. "Gah, Rosetto…What are you doing to yourself…"

She tugged on a bit of hair before stopping before the project manager's door, her eyes lowering. This was going to be difficult… Everyone told her that the project manager was a bit of a robot, unfeeling. Why she had been so interested in taking Joshua on to the project was completely amazing, just sending the hospital a simple picture two years ago had prompted them to take her all expenses paid to learn in the hospital, and then take Joshua as soon as things were prepared. Now was the moment of truth. Did she find him ready for the project…? So with one hand and a careful breath, she knocked cleanly upon the door.

"Come in." Came the cool tone, and she twitched, sweat dropping heavily as she stepped in, her blue eyes wide as she closed the door after her.

"Ah…Mrs. Harvenheit…" She stuttered, a bit blue in the face as the tall woman turned, her hair swishing about her face, dark eyes staring at her with an odd sense of knowledge.

"Call me Fiore. I do not feel attached to that name that the professionals commit to me." She said easily, Placing a file down on the desk and moving around, to reach into a separate filing cabinet, drawing out a file. "You're here about Joshua are you not? Ms. Rosette."

"Yes." She insisted, sweat dropping. "I was wondering, where what he moved to…?"

"The project ward." She gave her a small smile. "Your brother is defiantly a worthy candidate. You should be proud to have such a great sibling."

Rosette exhaled softly, her face melding into a completely blissful smile. "Thank you so much…" She leaned upon her knees, a happy laugh escaping her lips. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. Thank you…Thanks…."

Fiore shook her head, an odd glimmer in her eyes as she watched the blonde, "I'm sure you'll be wanting to see him. His room is just in wing 4, the Yellow wing." She handed her a file, her black hair falling into her black eyes. "Do show this to him too. He'll need to know the calendar."

She nodded, taking the file like It was worth more then her life. "Thank you…" She stood, and turned, her heart pounding insanely. "I'll tell him." And with that, she dashed out, a bright smile on her face.

Fiore just watched her go, staring at the spot she had been standing at for a bit, thinking. _I wonder… Would Sheda like to know about this… Where ever Rosette is… Chrno will no doubt be soon to find her…_

_

* * *

_

"Ah… sir? Are you going to take that or just stare at it all day?"

Chrno jerked his head up a bit, a flush upon his cheeks as he looked over at the Cashier of the flower Shoppe, before nodding guiltily, placing both bundles of flowers upon the counter, before looking about and snagging a box of chocolates also with a sheepish smile. "Thanks…" His heart was fluttering a mile a minute, and he kept checking his watch every five minutes, his attention brought back to reality only by the low whistle from the girl behind the counter.

"Wow…" She surveyed the mass bundles of flowers, their soft petals gleaming, along with the wide price tag. "Who ever these are for, is some lucky girl." She snapped her gum, admiring him with a new type of interest as he pulled out his credit card, offering it to her.

"Uhn… she is… I mean!" He stuttered, turning pink, "I'm lucky, for having her… at least… I hope I have her…" He blushed a bit, as he scrubbed behind his head with a hand, an embarrassed and quite cute smile upon his face, glasses sliding down his nose.

"Well with those bouquets, I'm sure you will." She grinned at him, smacking her gum again before tugging out his receipt and scribbling on it, winking. "But if you don't, be sure to give me a call."

He blanched at that, cradling the flowers and chocolates carefully, before taking the receipt gingerly, and escaping like the hounds of hell where at his feet, looking back curiously, not understanding her interest. Since Rosette had left him, all those flirts and comments had disappeared, Remington had said it was because he didn't smile, but he wasn't sure. It was just her, having her in the world made him complete.

He smiled to himself as he made his way to his car, sliding in and placing the gifts upon the front seat. It was sad really, what he'd do to prove himself to her. Within the few hours he had before he was to pick her up, he had delved into that deep account of money he had earned over the years, buying himself a new car, (Bright red Coverable mustang, the unreleased model), one that he'd even let her drive if it would make her happy, even thinking about her track record with cars. Not to mention he had finally gotten out to get some good clothing, his own bad taste for fashion that he replaced with his taste for things comfortable, was thrown out for nice, suave, sexy clothing that was a bit itchy and felt odd. But he looked good. He wanted to look perfect for her, those dead ends trimmed, styled, new glasses, soft and sexy, even though he really didn't need them to see… all he had to do, was have her remember…

But that was the hardest part….

With a sigh he turned the car on, his heart pounding crazily, and he turned his car towards the hospital, intent.

Nothing, Nothing at all could divert his attention from this goal.

Nothing at all…

SCREEECHHHHH Chrno hit the brakes hard as the car before him came to a sudden stop, and he hit his head upon the steering wheel, cursing a bit for forgetting to put on a buckle, and looked up, rubbing at his forehead. What was the problem?!

The sight made his pupils shrink into tiny little slits, for at first it was just a shimmer of something leaning over a car a bit up in the line, just a hint lighter then everything else beneath the slowly setting sun, before he focused and could see the dark black monster, composed of twisted vines and gaping mouths, blood gushing from the largest mouth, its body extended inside of the inside of the car, so that not even an inch was left free, the people within obviously dead already.

"Damn it!" He cursed, turning his car to the side, before he froze.

Rosette…

This could be his only chance to have her back, wasn't that more important then some people he didn't even know? He went to take a back way around the accident, his eyes closed tight from the sight.

He had done enough right? Couldn't someone else save these people? Couldn't he have his moment, for something that was more important then anything?

The monster growled, pushing itself deeper into the car, its tendrils squishing from the very seams of the car, until the thing groaned and collapsed, the creature sucking the metal, and drained corpses into its disgusting wriggling form, its two, misplaced, glowing beady eyes upon the car that was trying desperately to swerve away from the now visible creature, the child within the new prey wailing loudly.

SCREEE The Car stopped again, and the poor demon cursed himself, anger and fear bubbling up within him. _I'm sorry Rosette… but you'd hate me if I abandoned them… _Without a second thought he fazed in, his body melding into the form he fought in, the scars from his battle with his brother, still visible cleanly on his form. That eye had ever healed, just a red mottled mess, although the gems upon his forehead had returned to their normal state, the blue healing marks mottled his body dimly, never to return to their dark fleshy state. His flesh molded about the metal creation the Elder had made for his arm, spiking out into a long sword, his battered wings pumping him upwards in a flash, his eyes dark as he faced the demon, rage written on his face.

"You had to come now didn't you? You had to ruin this one chance I had…you will pay…" He growled, his eyes glowing dark crimson, and his claws glistened, releasing all of his rage into this single creature.

Oh yes. The streets would run red…

* * *

Rosette tapped her foot, sighing tightly, as she paced. Where the hell was he? She grumbled a bit more, running a hand through her hair. Damn it. She could be hanging out with Joshua, celebrating the upcoming project, and instead, she was standing out in the chill waiting for some person. Didn't she tell him she wasn't going to wait? Why was she still here?

She grumbled unhappily, turning and heading for her bike, sighing as she walked beneath the just turning on streetlights to the rack, and began to undo the chain. She should be happy that he didn't show up, that meant she didn't have to deal with any boorish man who was just looking for what he could find in the bedroom.

Then why was she disappointed?

A soft growl came from between her lips, and she pressed a few stray pieces of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear and the hood of the sweater she was wearing. With a slight sigh and a hop, she rode the bike lazily out of the complex, heading towards down town to grab dinner before she headed back to her apartment. It was strange; there was absolutely no one on the streets.

Was there a parade going on and she hadn't heard about it? She stood up upon the bike and tried to see over the hill, picking up her pace.

What was going on?

Just in the very distance there was a flicker of something strange. It seemed like it was raining, but as you got closer, you could see, that the 'rain' was squirming, falling about one larger form, that zipped across the sky almost to a point that one couldn't see it half the time. She pressed down on the brakes as she got closer, her eyes wide and pupils as small as pinpricks as she stumbled off of the bike.

The sky was full of wriggling black snakes, falling down in gushing black piles, that would explode at impact with the street into plumes of crimson red, staining the already dark street with its noxious blood.

She felt as if she was going to throw up…

And in-between it all, that larger form touched down, his body muscular and lean, coated thickly with the red goo, its stain dripping down the ivory horns and vertebrae, his dark vest sticking to his chest and oozing the liquid, as he turned, glowing red eyes locking upon her like the gaze of the devil.

_Oh god…_ She dropped the bike, taking a step backwards as the violet haired man seemed to come to his senses, black wings curling down as he lifted a talon-ed hand out to her, the sharp points gleaming.

And with that, she did exactly what everyone else would do.

She ran.

Chrno's heart clamped, collapsing inside on itself at her expression.

She was afraid of him.

That golden princess, who never feared anything, ran from the sight of him.

He wouldn't accept this…

"ROSETTE!" He growled, spreading his wings and taking after her.

he wouldn't loose her again…

She was _his…_

_

* * *

_

_Weee__! I JUST got this in on the deadline for Vero's Contest! HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH! Oh yes, I'd make the perfect author, never get a chapter done until the day of the deadline… sigh_

_I hope you enjoy.._

_Finally have some time to respond to some of these reviews. Gonna be a long thing here. sweatdrop _

_Damn, 47 for two chapters. I'm impressed._

_  
Keep up the good work mine loyal patriots. _

_(Prelude Review Responces)_

_NightElfCrawler__: Do I really need to respond to your Reviews? LOL! You bother me about it enough without leaving you on this cliff to plummet ne? glomp_

_Evilanimeblonde22: is glad to have made you cry Don't take offence, I was in dead out tears while writing it, to the point that my poor laptop was swimming. I'm glad to have made EVERYONE cry. :P_

SxStrngSamurai13: Yay, people crying! Although I would like to know what a Wrok is. Lol. I love typos. If you read this chapter before I did this, instead of Chrno's heart throbbing in his chest, it said his hear. Is taken over by the typo demons AHHH!!

Zilleniose: pokes your hand

RuByMoOn17: nods yep yep! Sad! Just wait! It'll get better! (heart)

ruby-dream: Ruby-chaaaaannn! Its been so long since I've talked to you! wails

Cauldron: Yeah, Chrno and Rosette Kiss on the last chapter. Its really sweet. sighs romantically Yay…

Purin-chan: The epilogue is out, and I'm sure you've read it ne? Rosette does die, it puts a bit of a snip into my plans with this story, but in other ways it helps. Lol. Thanks a lot for reading. :P

Flying Phoenix: stares at the next two chapters Yay! I continued! And I plan on keeping on doing that!

GoddessLD: wails again Wahh! Its been so long since I've talked to you either! clings

Ryuu of the Broken Light: Thank you for reading!!

E-chan5: attacks you Wahh! Chrno is NOT a chibi Vincent! He's so much cooler! bites E-chan's arm And why are you E-chan5? What other E-chans are there?! O.o!

Inuficcrzy: I'm writing, I'm writing…

kitsune-firedragon: You have to read the last chapter! Its great! Thanks for reading this, and I'm not going to quit on this. Its just a bit slow seeing as Fan fiction writing is a bit less important then graduating High school. Lol.

Rythmic: Wahh, sorry that I hit you with that wack Of angst! It'll get better, I swear it. stares at the rollercoaster of emotions that is this fiction Urr… sweatdrop well, yeah, you'll have your action/adventure/romance. Promise!

Vero-chan: Exactly. Alternate endings rock. :P

(Chapter 2 Reviews!)

Nightelfcrawler: Once again. I luff you. :P

Mip the Demon Fox: Hee hee, if we weren't mean to the characters, then the story would go nowhere ne? :P. Thanks and I'll work hard!

SxStrngSamurai13: Yepyep, Stella'll make an appearance. Just wait! :P

Vero-chan: laughs how was this cliffhanger then? :P

Rythmic: Whooaa.. Well then! That review confused the HELL out of me! laugh

Sailor Tiamat: Oh hoh hoh hoh hoh! That will be explained all in due time my friend! laugh And, btw. Its Chrno. Not ChrOno. is picky

Chobit 00: Yeah, I love that song. Its so pretty.

Mandapanda: Actually, its like we need more GOOD Chrno Crusade fics. --

YumeTakato: Amusing? How?

Cauldron: its written! O.o! Its Written!

kitsune-firedragon: Lol. Thanks for the compliment.

Lillith: I love your name. The name of Pandimonia when she was human. Roxxor. :P

ruby-dream: thank you ruby!

Inuficcrzy: That IS the question, mine friend, That is the question. laughs maniacly

GMGirl: Thanks!

Shazaoblossom: strokes 'the covenant' Lookie there! Someone called you a gem! feels as loved and gushy as a marshmallow

Isishikage: Mn? It reminds you of a book? will have to read that just to see thank you for Reviewing!

Elyssalyn: I'll write as fast as I can, and post as much as possible. Thanks for reading!

Britin: Happy ending…considers that LOL.

Saikyou Kirei262: Eh? That was a bad cliffhanger? grin

Hayai Akurei: Bhwhaah. Every time he tries to make it better, he just makes it worse. Just watch. :P

HiddenStar: stares at you Only…watched…the…anime? attacks you READ THE MANGA! 2,000000000000000000000000000 times better!

Treneka: Bah, I loathe Typos.

KiraLacus/RyomaSakuno Forever: Email me and I can send it to you ok? :3

Genki Birdie: Oh yes, they were not twins in the 1920's. But this is not the 1920's anymore. Them being twins has an important purpose in this story. Just wait, and all will be explained.

VanRulesFanelia: Yay. Thanks for the compliment! It'll get finished! Sometime. sweatdrop

Silverninja: Hora!

YetAnotherCatgirl: Yep, I'm still working on it. Slowly. Life is a bit more important then writing at times. Although I do try to write a little each day. sigh Thanks for reading!


	4. Act 3: Spare the rod, spoil the child

The Covenant.

Author's Note: I've re-read my previous chapters and I'll probably be fixing them up a bit later, but for now, here's the next chapter that has been in the works for a long time.

Chapter 3: Spare the rod, spoil the child…

--

Where to go.

Where to hide.

The blonde girl panted, her sneakers squeaking as she made a hard right, slipping into a small alleyway between two apartment buildings. All doors were locked and sealed by now, the owners and landlords activating the required 'guardian angel' system on the buildings, that would keep even a level five demon out. Oh but this, this was defiantly no level five. She didn't know what it was.

The rushing of wings let her know that her little short cut did not fool him, and She cursed, to afraid to look back and see how close he was. Why oh why did she wait for that jerk? When she could have been with Joshua?! She grabbed onto a pole, swinging herself around a corner with enough force that she nearly fell, her hands hitting the cement before pushing herself off again, stumbling and tripping as she attempted to get her feet back.

But that little mishap cost her everything, for by time she found her feet again, the shadow had descended upon her. A Strong hand gripped her wrist, yanking her around swiftly and pinning her to the sidewalk, the other cradling her head in an oddly careful manner before she could crack it against the cement. A pair of mismatched eyes, one gold and the other a mottled red, stared down at her; holding a rather shocking quality.

Intelligence.

"L-Let me go you big oaf!" She yelled, grabbing his hand with her free one, trying to pry it off her wrist. "Let go now!"

"No." He said, his voice soft but firm, and he slid his hand out from underneath her head, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You really don't recognize me Rosette?" If anything, he thought this form….

"What the HELL are you talking about!" She growled, the blood that had stained his clothing soaking into her own from where their chests touched. In the back of her mind she wondered why he wasn't eating her, like they had always said demons did. They had been particularly bad in Italy, but thankfully she had never gotten very close to one.

Until now of course.

His expression dropped a bit, his grip tightening on her wrist, only to release it once she cried out. "Sorry." He said softly, taking it again before she could use it to wail on him with, pressing the soft flesh to his lips in an apologetic kiss.

Rosette's heart nearly stopped. What…What the hell? "How did you know my name?" She demanded, getting more and more worried as he placed small kisses down to the inside of her elbow, his longish hair tickling her skin. "Hey!" She shoved against his shoulder with her free hand, her fear of being eaten being pushed back by the fate that made more sense at this point in time. He wasn't planning to…

He looked up a bit startled, before giving her a smile that pinched at her chest, reminding her of something. It was almost lonely. "I know more." He insisted, almost fervently. "I know you have a freckle on your inner thigh that almost looks like a heart... and that you hate how your toes knob at the end." He murmured, as if lost in his thoughts. "That you have…had…I'm not sure, a brother. Joshua. That he was special, but not as special as you." His eyes met with hers, "That you wanted to become a doctor to help him, and that you loved stories, and you cant cook to save your life, other then chocolate…"

"What the hell are you? Some type of demon stalker?" Rosette asked, looking truly horrified, having worked her knee up slowly as he had talked, her eyes dropping down nervously as she debated. "What do you want from me?"

"Trust." He said softly, trying to push back the eagerness in it. "Trust me. I'm not going to hurt you." He let go of her wrist slowly as she dropped her hands, pressing them to the cement behind her.

"Well then, I'll have to apologize then." She said slowly, sitting up and inching back, giving him a nervous smile at his confused look. "Because I am." _Planning to hurt you that is. _She brought her knee up directly into his groin, twisting it just for good measure as the demon gasped, wrenching away in pain, one hand pressed over his injured goods.

_Sucker._

"Damn it Rosette!" He cursed, his eyes tearing up as she ran off, shaking his head. That was a low blow, a low blow indeed. He stood as she rounded a corner, out of sight, and shook off the pain. "This isn't working." He muttered, staring at his reflection in the mirror, sighing a bit as he took off.

_I'm defiantly not going to get anywhere looking like this…_ He thought guiltily, before biting his bottom lip. _…Though, I could use it for my advantage if…_

Rosette looked behind her, almost relieved to see no one there. Maybe she had actually out run him. She grinned, looking back to the front only to attempt to skid to a stop as the demon man landed in front of her, a small grin on his face. She quickly turned around and dashed back the other direction, rounding the corner only to run right into the man she had been waiting for back at the hospital, knocking his glasses right off his face. "Ah SHIT!" She gasped; almost doing a tango with him before latching onto his wrist and pulling him along, not at all noticing that the demon was no longer there. "What the HELL are you doing out here too?"

"Looking for you!" Chrno said truthfully, feeling guiltier for tricking her like that. He moved fast, she had no idea…. "Come on, this way." He said quickly, tugging her back another way, keeping the pace up, fleeing from the non-existent pursuer. Finally He spotted the door of his apartment building, and the little hatch that lead into the basement that he had made sure would always stay open. He let go of her hand and slid in easily, holding open his arms for her the moment he hit the ground.

The blonde girl looked at him nervously, before sliding in, surprised at how easily he caught her, and cradled her against his chest. "Well then…Sorry for being late…" He said with a small laugh, letting her feet touch the ground as he looked down at her, smiling warmly.

"Stupid." She said half angrily, half embarrassed, her cheeks hot. "You didn't have to come through all that you know." She stepped away from him, rubbing her arms as she peered up at the window they had come in through. "Do you think he followed us?"

Chrno coughed a bit, before shaking his head. "No I don't. Come on, lets get out of here." He took her hand lightly, leading her up the stairs into the building, just as the security systems began to shut off, people peaking out their doors in relief…

Was it just their imaginations or did attacks keep happening more and more lately…

"How did he get past security?" Rosette mumbled, unconsciously tightening her hold on his hand as the stepped into the elevator, Chrno pressing the button for the top floor.

"Without raising the alarms? I don't know." He replied, frowning. "They've been coming from the subways, where the signal isn't as strong." He leaned back on the wall of the elevator, hoping to god that wasn't the demon that had been mentioned earlier that day. He should have gone down there before it could get out on land…. He didn't want to think about what must have happened to the unit sent down there to take care of it…

"Well then they should make it stronger down there!" The blonde huffed; turning her eyes to the man she was with. "Put a transformer down there or something…"

"I'll see if we can." He assured her, smiling as she gave him a curious look. "My partner and I, the one you met in the hospital, work on protecting the city from demons." He said slowly, smiling wider at the look he gave her.

"You?" She asked, pointing and he nodded.

Well that must have impressed her.

"Well your doing a really crappy job!" She jabbed at him. "How many attacks have we had this month? What the heck are you doing?"

"Ah…" He said hesitantly, holding up his hands. "There are things we still have to perfect…"

"Like what? Just fill the town with the same stuff the barrier is made of, it won't hurt humans and then the demons would just go kapoof!" She made the motion with her fingers, before wiggling them as she put them down near her hips to emphasize the bits falling apart.

Despite how much he loved this girl… that… had scared him a little bit.

"We cant.." he coughed, "Do that though."

"Why not?" She demanded.

_Oh other then the fact that I would explode right before you, as would most of Remington… _

"It can have adverse effects on humans. Like standing under an X-ray all your life." He explained quietly, before the door opened. "Come on in…your soaked with blood." He motioned to her clothing, the red ooze dotting his own clothing from catching her. 

"Not the first time." She muttered, when one worked in the medical field, being covered in blood and even feces didn't really bug you. He led her along to his apartment, hesitating for a moment before looking at her with a faint blush. His apartment was a mess, from the day's shopping and his almost pack rat way of keeping things. "What's wrong?" She asked, lifting her eyes up to him.

"Its really messy." He laughed a bit, scratching behind his ear. "I almost don't want to submit you to it."

"You should see my place." She grinned at him, nodding for him to go ahead. Chrno smiled lightly, before unlocking and opening the door, offering for her to go first. The blonde stepped through the doorway, looking about the old fashioned apartment curiously, her eyes being caught immediately by an old broken pocket watch.

"Oh." She stepped quicker, as Chrno closed the door, watching her with fond eyes. "Wow…" She scooped the pocket watch up, a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that she had seen this before. She wiped a bit of the dust off the shattered face, only to wince as she cut her finger, a few droplets falling inside the clockwork. "Ouch!" She shook her hand, sticking it in her mouth with a whimper.

Chrno could feel it the moment it happened. After all, the thing was still connected to his soul, despite not needing energy from it. His breath hitched, and without seeing it, he knew that the face glowed faintly as the blood sank into it, remembering its purpose. He quickly stepped up behind her, one arm coming against her side as he leaned on the counter, and the other carefully plucking the clock from her hands, checking it quickly to make sure nothing funny had happened. It would be an understatement to say that he was very relieved to see that it wasn't open and that the hands were still, thank god. It was silly to think that a contract could have been made without both of their consent.

But he couldn't help but worry.

"Hey, I was looking at that!" She exclaimed, pulling her finger from her mouth to reach for it. "It looks familiar, I can't quite place where its from."

Familiar? His heart sped up a bit in hope, and he slowly lowered it to her eyelevel. "Don't cut yourself again, alright?" He chastised, dangling it from the chain before her.

"Oh come on. What are you? My father?" She said, taking it from him gently, looking it over. It was so familiar. "Where did you get this?"

"From a friend. A very long time ago." He said, taking her arm gently and lead her to the couch, allowing her to sit down. She did so, sitting legs splayed and her elbows resting on her knees, examining it with fierce determination to place it.

Chrno watched her with anxious eyes, waiting for something, though he was slightly disappointed that his true form hadn't triggered the same reaction. Maybe it was because she was scared out of her mind….

"AHAH!" She crowed, making him jump in surprise, blinking as she shoved it in his face. "This! I know what this is!"

"…" He blinked, before urging her on. "And that is…?"

"It was that prop from that Twilight Zone episode right? The one that froze time?" She grinned, taking his suddenly flat expression as admitting that she was right. "Hah! I knew it! I used to watch that show all the time…" She grinned, fingering the clock curiously. She was sure that was it…

"Oh." He coughed, scratching the back of his head. "Well…" He lifted his eyes to her, mismatched eyes locking with blue, questioning. Was there nothing that she remembered? "You can have it if you like…" He whispered, lifting the chain and placing it around her neck, letting it rest against her chest, before sitting back, looking down at her.

Her eyes seemed to blank out a bit, like she was thinking very hard, before she suddenly placed her hands over his, a curious look on her face. "Hey Chrno, what's your phone number?"

"W-what?" He asked, startled.

"Your phone number…I mean, you saved my life, its only normal that we should stay in contact…" She shifted a bit uncomfortably, one hand to the clock about her neck. "But if that's to personal your email or something…"

"Oh no!" He said, a little too quickly, closing his fingers around her hands and cupping them together, enjoying that simple touch greatly. "How about this, go take a shower and I'll get you something clean to wear and write down both my phone number and email address. Alright?"

She nodded, her cheeks warming at the contact of his hands, and the way he looked at her. "Sure…you do have a lock on the door right?"

"What? Oh, yeah..." He turned red, letting go of her hands to fiddle with his shirt, standing up. "Come now." He walked over to the shower, quickly pulling things he didn't quite want her to see (underwear and the like) under his arm and set a new towel to the side. "I'll leave your clothing outside the door alright?"

She nodded slowly, standing up and following him into the shower, looking at the large tiled room. For such a out dated apartment, it was really handsome and masculine. She turned pink, taking the towel and bundling it against her mouth in embarrassment, sighing as she set it down again and turned the shower on stripping as soon as she made sure the door was locked.

What was it about this guy that made her feel so funny, like she should tell him something, but didn't quite know what…

She carefully took off the clock, making sure to avoid the glass, before setting it down on the counter, undressing and stepping into the hot shower to rinse off all the blood and grime that was stuck to her. Ugh… she rubbed her hands down her stomach, trying to pry the gunk off of her, frowning at the black specks that refused to come off.

Scrubber brush…don't tell me he doesn't have an … Ah there we go.

She frowned as she pulled the brush away from her red skin.. The black spots were still there… She shivered, not sure quite what to do about them. She'd have to wait and check the books about them later… She washed her hair quickly with his shampoo, before shutting off the water, and stepping out, wrapping the towel delicately about her.

"Chrno?" She called out, wet hair sticking to her skin, before she opened the door, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of him, setting clothing down in front of her, paused as if caught in the act.

Time, who had never seemed to be all that fond of him, paused at that moment, allowing him to take in the sight.

God she was beautiful, graceful legs sweeping up to hide her upper thighs from him behind the dark towel, blonde hair sticking to her shoulders and cheeks, golden skin still wet and perfect. His eyes moved up to her face, focusing on her soft pink lips (he tried very hard not to look at the shape of her chest through the towel), biting down on his own. He wondered in the very back of his mind what would happen if he took her into his arms right then and there…

And then the door slammed shut again, breaking the spell, her scream of indignation ringing in his ears. He shook his head, clearing it of his rather dark thoughts. "Ah! I'm sorry!" He felt his ears burn, and he quickly placed the clothing down, stepping out of the room. "I didn't hear you, I'm out…"

Stupid, what the heck was that? He fidgeted uncomfortably, eyes darting towards the room once more…

Rosette leaned against the door, her heart pounding a million miles a minute. All right then… that was just a bit embarrassing… She creaked the door open slightly to make sure he was gone, before reaching out with her foot and dragging the clothing into the bathroom. She changed quickly, discarding any bit of clothing that had the black and red gunk on it. Finally she stepped out, in one of his long button up black shirts and a pair of red swim shorts, the only thing that would fit her in his closet besides his boxers. Chrno had a trim waist, but was still larger then her by quite a bit, so his shorts hung low on her hips. His socks went up to mid calf, and she felt quite a bit like a little girl again, wearing her father's clothing to bed.

The door was thrown open, Remington stepping inside and tugging his jacket off, throwing it on the couch as he ranted off, not at all noticing the girl who had nearly jumped out of her skin when he had entered. "Alright Chrno, I know that you were in a rush but leaving the scene like that before anyone could get there to find out what had happened—" He stopped, looking down at the startled girl for a few moments, as if not sure what to do. His eyes scanned over her quickly, taking in her current clothing, only to narrow his eyes as Chrno stepped into the room, startled and shirtless.

"Ah…Yuan…" The demon said slowly, turning red as he glanced at Rosette out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't say that he hadn't fantasized about this before, her dressed in his clothing... as if they had just…

His eyes widened at Remington's accusatory stare.

"Oh no!" He waved his hands at him, his blush extending far more then it had been. Oh god, if only… "It's not like that. I can explain…"

"Oh can you?" Remington frowned, taking his jacket from where he had deposited it on the couch, and looped it over her shoulders buttoning it up as he spoke. "I apologize, I didn't know you had come to visit."

Rosette turned a faint shade of pink as he buttoned up his jacket around her, looking up at him curiously. "I didn't really have any choice. Your friend here saved me from this psychotic demon…"

The blonde man raised an eyebrow, looking curious as he looked over his shoulder at the blushing Demon. "Oh really? What did the demon look like?"

"He was tall…" She said, looking off to the side, "With long horns and a spine like tail. He swore he wasn't going to hurt me…" She shuddered, working her arms into the sleeves to rub her bruised wrist. "I thought he was going to do worse…"

Chrno swallowed sharply, guilt bubbling up in his stomach. He wasn't….

Remington gave Chrno a half look, before sighing, "Where do you live Rosette, I'll drive you home, its rather late." She nodded slowly, looking over at Chrno.

"So…" She said uneasily, "Not even your email?"

"Oh!" He jumped, realizing that he had forgotten, before scrambling for a pen, taking the her wrist and scooting up the sleeve, gently writing both his number and email address on her arm, only to blink when she took the pen from him afterwards, writing hers on his own skin, nibbling her bottom lip as she did.

"There." She smiled up at him, before placing a hand to her chest where the pocket watch sat, "And thank you, for both things."

"Go get your shoes," Remington said softly, nodding as she looked up at him and went for them, sighing a bit about bossy men, and disappeared into the bathroom, to pick up her stuff and put her shoes on. "Now, what part of what you've done is considered controlling yourself?" He asked, turning to Chrno with cool blue eyes.

"I…I couldn't help it." He replied, eyes guilty. "She saw me with that thing…when she ran I couldn't help but follow her." The blonde man just looked at him, before pointing at his chest.

"You have black there." He said simply, little black specks dotting his chest.

"Yeah, from that demon." Chrno said in annoyance. "Spores from its blood, it's trying to use my astral to regenerate its body. A common trick legion use. I'm to strong for it though, my body will push them out by the end of the day."

"Lucky you." Remington responded drolly, looking towards the bathroom. "In both aspects."

"I just wish she remembered everything…" The demon sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "It would be so much easier."

"You think so?" The ex-priest leaned against the wall, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Everything? The knowledge of two lifetimes, and of the time between both. They normally classify that as madness. The human brain cant hold all that information and still function properly. " He closed his eyes carefully. "If she was to remember, we would have to work on selective memories, slowly, or else we might do more harm then good."

Chrno nodded slowly, not sure if he completely understood. But then again he was a demon, and he functioned differently then they did…

"Alright." Rosette said quickly, sticking her head out from the bathroom, where she had stuffed her bloody clothing into her dirty pants and held it almost like a purse. "I'm ready."

"Good." Remington replied quickly, smiling at her as he led her towards the door. "I apologize for all this trouble you've gone though."

"Nothing you can do about it now." She said with a little shrug, looking back at Chrno before waving to him as she left. "Goodbye Chrno! I'll call you later."

He waved back, looking a little lost as she left. Funny, now that he thought about it…. He had never told her his name…

----

Homg, Did I actually Update? Homg? Its amazing? Honestly I've had about 3/4ths of this finished for about 2 years, Life has just been so incredibly busy. You guys know how it is. I graduated from high school and Now I'm in the Military. So extra time standing duty, I was able to wrap the rest of this chapter up and start on the next one. I plan on picking this story up strongly again, so the wait for the next chapter wont be so god forsaken long awaited. I really apologize to you guys, and thank all my faithful readers who still care about this story. :3


	5. Act 4: Your Broken Thoughts make me Ill

The Covenant: Chapter four

Authors note: Hahahaha again. Sorry it took so long to get these two chapters to you guys. XD

**Chapter Four: Your broken thoughts make me ill...**

--

"ANOTHER date?" Remington's voice was surprised, and he leaned against the desk, curious. "That's the third one isn't it?"

"Why yes it is!" Chrno's voice was cheerful, bright and happy. "Though its not officially a date. Just 'hanging out'." He adjusted his position reclined against the window, looking down at the city with a warm expression on his face. "We're going with some of her friends to a club."

"A… Club." Remington asked Flatly, leaning forward. "Chrno, do you know what goes on in clubs?"

"Dancing." He said innocently, "Some drinking maybe." He sighed, standing back up and walking over to where his partner sat. "It's not going to be anything too crazy. I mean, its Rosette..."

"Chrno. Listen to what you just said. Its IS Rosette. When have things ever been not crazy when she's in the picture?" Remington said simply, grinning widely. "I say, since you are just 'hanging out' you should invite me as well, just in case things go south."

"Well…" Chrno fidgeted uncomfortably, Rosette had been asking why 'that partner of yours, the one with the blonde hair' hadn't been taking up her invitation to come out as well. "I guess you can come…"

"Great. I'll be there." The blonde man reclined back, before flipping through his book. "Its funny, since that bloodbath on the street, we haven't had anything but low level disturbances and false sightings." He set down the book, looking at Chrno meaningfully. "You really must have given them all a show to be afraid to come in here."

"That or something else has." The demon responded slowly, lifting his mismatched eyes to meet the ex priest's dark blue ones. "I keep getting the feeling that we know less then we should about what's going on. Frightening them off? Nothings that easy, or else it would have worked before. Something's up."

"I might not have the same senses as you Chrno, but I can feel it as well." He tapped his fingers against the desk. "Something's coming, or is already here. I'm not sure. We just better be on the look out." He lifted his eyes again, focusing on his chest. "How is the black?"

"Finally gone." He sighed, looking frustrated. "I'm surprised it took so long… He defiantly was talented in making spores… I'm actually surprised no one else got it on them. You did a really good clean up, that's for sure."

"Why thank you." Remington mused, "Not that you were any help in doing it."

"Yuan I've explained this a thousand times…."

"And still you get flustered." The blonde man smiled, standing up. "Go ahead and get changed. We have a check up with the Order in a hour, and then we're free for the day."

--

"Now, you have a check up in a hour, and then some therapy before you go to bed. I rented a bunch of movies for you, and they are there on the counter." Joshua watched as his sister scrambled about, setting things up while trying to change as well, tugging on her jeans on over her hips. Joshua blushed slightly as she tugged off the shirt of her scrubs, showing off a low cut lacy bra as she dug in her bag to find the top she had brought to change into. "Tomorrow I made sure you don't have anything to do, so we'll go out on the town. Maybe even see a play." She smiled up at him, her brother lowering his eyes to her chest, a worried expression passing over his face.

"Hey…what's that?" He kicked his sheets off, pulling his IV bag along with him as he pressed a finger to the black markings that dominated her upper body. "Rosette?"

"Oh." The girl looked down at it nervously, and winced when he touched her skin. "I dunno, I was working with that fax machine when it exploded on me. It just hasn't come off yet." In truth, she didn't know what it was. She had looked through medical books and the like, and had found nothing that could be put akin to it. The little black specks had grown, spreading like leprosy across her chest, looking like some had sprayed black ink all over her chest and stomach. Only this ink was swollen and growing, sapping what energy she had. But it wasn't like she could just take a break because of it….Hell, she had bills to pay, college and work to go to. There was no time she could spare to what ever it was.

"Rosette…" Joshua sighed, reaching into her bag and pulling out the low cut shirt she had brought, helping button it up. "Just because I'm sick all the time doesn't mean you immune to everything." He met her eyes, biting his bottom lip. " Please get that checked tomorrow. I'm sure one of the doctor's wont mind looking over it really quick. Even if it is just ink." He cut her protest off with that, smiling as she sighed a bit.

"Alright… I will." She agreed slowly, as he pulled her hair out from her collar of her shirt. "But in Return, you have to take the medicine they put aside for you during meals. No more hiding it under the carrots understand?"

"But Rosette!" Joshua exclaimed, making a face. "They just make me sleepy and its hard for me to focus, I don't like it."

"Dr. Fiore said it was good for you, You should listen to her." His sister scolded, smacking him on the head lightly before smiling and kneeled down before him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Promise?"

The blonde haired boy turned red, and glowered down at his lap as he crossed his arms in mock anger. "Fine."

She smiled up at him before clunking their foreheads together, laughing as he yelped indignantly. "Don't stay up to late."

He waved to her as she stepped out of the room, sighing as he rested back in his bed, listening to the quietness that filled the room. A few minutes went by before he heard a bird start chirping happily annoying the poor boy; before he sighed and reached over some of the cords that were strewn over his lap to pull the Stack of DVDS close enough to rifle through.

"Joshua?" A soft Female voice asked, and the boy looked up disinterestedly as his doctor, Fiore, came into the room, followed by a short woman wearing a beanie, despite her long doctors coat.

" G'Afternoon Fiore." He mumbled, separating the videos he liked from the ones he knew Rosette got because she planned on watching them with him later. He'd keep those aside, even though some he wanted to really watch. "I thought Therapy wasn't until later."

"You see, I was lucky enough to run into an old friend from medical school, she said she has something that could help you." Fiore said evenly, fiddling with the machinery that he was connected to. "So we're moving the schedule around a bit."

"Does Rosette know about this?" He asked suspiciously, his eyes traveling over to the woman standing behind his tall dark haired doctor. She wore large glasses that hid her eyes behind the bright reflection of the setting sun, and her lips were curled up into a cattish smile. She clutched a fat briefcase to her side protectively.

"Yes, I told her about it in the hallway." Fiore assured him, nodding to the other woman, who, crouched down beside the bed, opening the briefcase out of his sight. "She'll be by later to see how things went."

He could hear a strange humming, and he finally looked over, trying to catch sight of what the newcomer was doing. All he could see was her hunched over back, the white of her jacket tinted with a green glow. "Will it hurt?"

"Maybe a little at first, but it should stop." Fiore scooted the DVDs off his lap, placing them to the side as she unbuttoned the Teenager's shirt, pushing it down over his shoulders as she felt across his chest with her cool fingers before placing a sensor over three spots once she found them. He squirmed uncomfortably, something whispering in the back of his mind that something wasn't quite right about this. There was something familiar about that woman..

"It feels funny." He said flatly, squirming as the woman connected the wires into a strangely glowing box. "What is this supposed to do exactly?" He closed one eye as she set the box down and placed a sensor on both sides of his head, right above his ears. He was starting to get nervous.

"Its ready when you are Fiore!" The woman piped up from the floor, standing up, her beanie slightly crooked. There was a strange metal device where her ear was supposed to be.

"Thank you Sheda. You see Joshua, It will help you remember..." Fiore said softly, allowing a small smile to grace her features. "Remember everything."

--

"You look beautiful tonight Rosette." The blonde haired man smiled as he climbed out of the car to take the girl's hand and kiss it lightly. "Akin to an angel." His eyes dusted over her appearance carefully, the off the shoulders, deep cut lace shirt that stopped right above her petite bellybutton, the dark hip slung jeans that stuck to every curve and tanned high heeled boots. Her hair tangled about her shoulders in waves, hiding her bare skin, and the pocket watch hung heavily about her neck, but not quite as heavily as he remembered. He hated to see it on her, it brought back far to many bad memories.

She blushed faintly, dropping her eyes to the ground as the driver rounded the car, placing himself between Remington and her with a half forced smile. "Forgive him, he thinks he's to suave for words." Mismatched eyes aimed backwards at the blond man warningly, before blinking as Rosette snorted.

"Oh come on Chrno, like you don't either?" She teased him, smiling as she plucked at his black leather jacket with a grin. "What are you trying to pull off? Rough and tough romantic?" Her smile widened even more as he blushed darkly, placing a hand behind his head nervously.

"Rosette…"

"OH!" She turned around, motioning for her two friends to step forward, two of her fellow med students who were all too happy to introduce themselves to the two handsome men, nearly shoving each other over to get to them.

"I'm Michelle." One said playfully, batting her eyelashes up at Chrno as she pushed her dark hair out of her face, offering out a hand. The demon blushed faintly, looking uncomfortable as he politely took her hand, planting a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

Poor Michelle nearly melted on the spot.

The other girl frowned at this, looping her arm into her friends and pulling her away from the tall man. "Well, are we going to get going? Or are we just going to sit around like love sick idiots all night?"

"Emily!"The brunette squeaked indignantly, making Rosette laugh.

"Well, its true." She huffed, grabbing the blonde's arm as well, looking at Chrno and Remington defensively.

The Ex-priest smiled calmly at them, clasping a hand on the demon's shoulder, pushing him towards the car. "Lets go then, I'd hate to waste this beautiful night."

"Right-o!" Rosette crowed, throwing her free arm up. "I call shotgun!"

"Ah!" Remington tried to argue, suddenly not liking the fact that they had taken Chrno's new car, because that placed him in the back with the two girls. As nice as they seemed, he really didn't feel like being put under the force of their two very different styles of flirting.

"She called it Yuan." Chrno grinned cheekily, opening the door for them, before rounding the other side, hopping into the drivers seat. The rest of them piled in, Remington placing himself behind the blonde girl where he could at least have some room to stretch his legs, and they took off, driving downtown.

"Hey look at that!" Michelle shouted from the back seat, coiling around so she could stare out the back of the convertible at the hospital in the distance. "The hospital must be having some power troubles." She grinned, watching the lights flicker brilliantly from the windows. Rosette turned around, wrapping her arms about the head rest to stare at it, arching an eyebrow. "They seriously need to get those wires checked. Remember when we lost power in the west wing and that poor woman had to deliver her baby in the elevator?"

Chrno arched an eyebrow at that, grinning slightly at her words. He glanced back at the building in the distance through his rear view mirror, his lips twitching downward just slightly. O_dd..._ He shook the strange feeling off, rounding a corner, the hospital dropping out of sight.

--

"Odd..." Jim said to himself, sitting up from under the control panel, wiping his hands of the dirt and grease that had collected on his fingers. "Yeah, everythings fine down here. Still getting that strange reading?" He asked, the man who accompanied him nodding as he cursed to himself.

He tapped at the screen, not really caring if the system he was messing with Did control most of the lower portion of the Gabriel system, the Shield that kept the demons out of their city. How long had it been since they'd had an Attack? A good few weeks. How long had he been working on various parts of this system? Since he was twenty three.

The old man made a grumpy sound. The power readings were off the charts, full of bright green energy that blanked out the specially designed radar. "Don t worry about it Jim, I'm sure the damn thing is just being retarded. These here readings are impossible." He kicked up his feet. "What did they expect from us? Putting a station down here in the damn subways."

Jim continued to clean his hands, peering over his shoulder. "Don't you think you should let someone know man? I mean, even if it is malfunctioning, better safe then sorry?"

"Screw them. I hope this thing blows the hell up. Teach them to stick me, ME, down here in this shit hole." He raged, slamming his fists down on the arm rests of his swivel chair.

Jim jumped, before arching an eyebrow, tucking away his cleaning rag. "Alright man. No need to get pissed. Just let someone know about that before you're released ok? See ya." He gave a little wave, closing the door after him. "Jeese, what a nut job." He muttered to himself, turning from the door only to nearly jump out of his skin, Finding himself face to face with a tall man, half hidden in shadows. "Holy! Man you scared the piss out of me!" He exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I do apologize." Came the smooth, chocolaty reply as the stranger stepped forward, light spilling on his pale white hair and dark skin, a pair of very cool violet eyes staring down at the man.

Jim shivered, feeling boxed in against the door, and shimmied around the man, feeling more and more uncomfortable as his eyes followed him. "You here to relieve George?" He asked, "I just came to check out the system. Its reading a huge power source but we could locate anything, so, just to let you know."

"Really." The man asked, mildly surprised. "Did anyone other than you and... George... See this reading?"

"No..." Jim replied uneasily, "But--"

He never had time to finish, the strangers fist finding its way through his skull and into the wall behind him, splattering crimson across the hallway.

Aion pulled his hand back, pealing off his glove as the body slumped to the ground, faceless. "Good show Chrno, Good show." He muttered, reaching for the door to the control room. "But not good enough."

--

"Rosette! Don't you think its a bit loud in here!?" Chrno shouted on the top of his lungs, hands clasped over his sensitive ears as the vibrations of the music shook him down in the depths of his stomach, making him feel strange and light headed. It didn't help that Rosette had all but shoved a good four shots down his throat. He wasn't a heavy drinker, hell, he barely drank at all, so he couldn't even begin to imagine keeping up with Rosette and her friends, Let alone Remington. The object of his affection just placed a hand against her ear, laughing as she was spun around by said ex-priest, bursting into peals of laughter as she was dipped and swung around, their noses brushing together.

"Whad'dya Say Chrno!?!" She shouted back, laughing as Yuan set her back on her feet, letting her wobble over to him, nearly collapsing against him in laughter. Her friends had all but disappeared, mixed in with the crowd, utterly smashed and thoroughly enjoying themselves. The blonde man took a seat at the table with them, grinning as he wiped the thin line of sweat from his forehead, having discarded his jacket along time ago.

"Rosette your drunk." He chastised, wrapping his arms carefully about her, making sure that she could still stand. "And I said its too loud in here."

"Oh Don't be such a prude." She muttered, her eyes hazy as she let him lead her to the table, sitting her down on the chair and offer her some water, which she took thankfully. "You've always been such a prude. Nooo Rosette..." She mimicked a high pitched voice, that strangely resembled his younger form's tone. "I Don't wannt to come out. I liiike it here in the dingy black grave."

The music that had been so deafeningly loud, seemed to fade away around the table, leaving them in a pocket of startled silence.

"Chrno." Remington said stiffly, as if not believing his ears, only to stop when the demon held up his hand tersely, watching the girl with piercing mismatched eyes.

"And you." She pointed at Remington, her finger making small circles, incapable of keeping it steady. "You...always let me do what ever I wanted." She closed one eye at him drunkenly. "I had such a huge crush on you..." She flung that hand up, letting her face land on the table with a groan. "What happened to us...those happy days, sad days..."

"Rosette..." Chrno whispered.

"Is she ranting off again?!" Emily asked, nearly scaring the poor demon out of his skin when the girl collapsed on his shoulders, looping her arms about his neck. "She always gets like this. Starts ranting on about things she never did, people she never actually met. Doesn't remember any of it when she sobers up either. Its funny. Like a completely different person..." She grinned, before eying the man she clung too. "Hey you wanna dance?"

"No." Chrno said sharply, reaching out and Taking Rosette's hand, trying to shake her into consciousness again. "Rosette!"

"Fine!" Emily Harrumphed, stomping off after realizing that Yuan was acting just as strange, leaning into where the blonde sat, eyes piercing in concentration.

"Mnnphn..." The poor girl moaned, looking up again. "What? Time for Mass already?" She asked, twining her hand onto the clock. "No..no time." She looked up at Chrno quietly, eyes sad. "No time at all. I waited for you...Why didn't you come? You promised..." She whispered, Sending shock waves through the demon, his eyes widening.

"Rosette I..."

The room suddenly shook violently, the ceiling and walls cracking, sending dust and glass from shattered lights down on the clubbers. Screams echoed through the building as Chrno lept to his feet, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. Like...

"Shit! Yuan the barrier!" He shouted, scooping Rosette up into his arms, the exhausted girl laying like a rag doll against him, the clock sitting heavily on her chest, pulling her shirt down slightly in one spot, revealing the dark black pattern that throbbed on her skin.

Chrno didn't notice it, too intent on getting out of the building as quick as he could, his ex-contractor's friends forgotten.

Oh, but Remington defiantly did, his eyes widening in shock and horror as he followed the demon, throwing on his coat. "Shit Chrno!" He shouted as they slammed through the door, looking upwards where the normally clear dome shimmered above them, as brilliant as the Astral line itself.

What the hell was going on?!

"Chrno Give her to me." Remington said sharply, offering out his arms, eyes narrowing when the demon clutched Rosette closer to him, looking very reluctant to let her go. "She's sick, the world is going crazy, and you cant fight holding her." He said firmly, taking the petite girl, his hand touching the legion on her chest, wincing as it squirmed, surviving on her energy.

"Oh god, she must have gotten that when I..." Chrno gasped in horror, struck immobile by the realization that he might just be the cause of her death once again.

"We Don t have time for this Chrno! Get down To the subway, somewhere! Now!" The Ex-priest roared, forcing the demon into movement as his form shifted, horns twisting out of his temples as he spread tattered wings, taking off with a pained look back at the girl in his partners arms.

"Shit." He hissed to himself, shooting off at breakneck speed.

---

So yeah. Enjoyed I hope. XD Things are Picking up:D


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